Impressions contains two studio tracks paired with two live songs left over from the same November 1961 recordings that yielded John Coltrane’s very successful Live At The Village Vanguard. There was too much material for one LP so the music had to be divided up, with this second album coming a year after the first.

Coltrane expanded his usual lineup for the Village Vanguard performances with the addition of Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, which opened up new opportunities for the front line. All About Jazz ranked the set of Village Vanguard recordings at number two on its list of the 10 best live jazz albums.

Impressions is a hodgepodge of memorable John Coltrane performances from the 1961-1963 period. “India” and “Impressions” are taken from Trane’s famous November 1961 engagement at the Village Vanguard; bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy is heard on the former while the latter features a marathon solo from Coltrane on tenor. Also included on this set are 1962’s “Up ‘Gainst the Wall” and the classic of the album, 1963’s “After the Rain”.